Dragonball Z: What Lies Beyond Two!
by BeneathThisMask
Summary: Twelve years have passed since the monster, Majin Buu, rained terror upon the Earth. Goku has since left to train Buu's reincarnation, Uub, leaving Vegeta to protect the Earth in his absence. When a new terrifying threat arrives to threaten their homes, Vegeta is put to the ultimate test and must unlock the furious power laying dormant within him.


_"You're going to love this. What you're seeing now is my normal state!"_

_The memory was clear. The ever jovial appearance of Kakarot facing down a new and dangerous opponent. In this situation, the villain was none other than Majin Buu. Buu, the terrifying space demon, in reality nothing more than a bulbous blob of bubblegum-looking skin, and an almost child-like demeanor. Buu whom even the Supreme Kai became shaken with an incurable fear at the mere mention of his name. Yes, the same childlike demon whom had tossed aside a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan and the Supreme Kai as if they were nothing more than child's play. It was this deceptive monstrosity that Kakarot faced down with nothing more than a disarming smile. Tensing briefly, Kakarot exploded in a bright light, his hair raising and shining with a golden light. To someone like the former Saiyan prince, Vegeta, watching the event unfold from Hell, the form Kakarot had taken was obviously that of the legendary Super Saiyan._

_"This is a Super Saiyan." Kakarot declared to his audience._

_An audience that consisted of the evil Babidi and his demon Buu._

_"And this..."_

_Kakarot again bursts with ki. His hair becomes even wilder, bio-electricity illuminating his powerful golden aura. Vegeta narrowed his eyes upon envisioning this. This form is the one Kakarot had used against him during their brief exchange on the Earth._

_"This is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan. Or... you could just call this a Super Saiyan 2!"_

_The monster Majin Buu, in all his supposed childlike captivation, enthusiastically nods with interest._

_"Ho hum..." the devilish wizard chirps. "What a useless transformation. You changed your hair, so what?"_

_What a fool._

_That is the only sentence that floats through the Saiyan prince's mind as he continues to watch the events as they unfold. If there was anything the Saiyan prince despised more than Kakarot, it was contempt for the illustrious Super Saiyan form. That form was the pride and joy of the proud Saiyan race. The culmination of generations of Saiyan legend. Of course, the form Kakarot was currently in transcended the Super Saiyan; a form achieved first by the Saiyan's son, Gohan, during the battle against the monster Cell. Nevertheless, the Saiyan prince could not contain his rage at Babidi's disregard for the power floating directly in front of himself and his monster. Of course, this contempt doesn't phase Kakarot, who merely chuckles with amusement. He knows. He knows just what a mistake the wizard is making in underestimating him. In underestimating the Saiyans._

_"Just wait." he snaps. "And this... is... to go... even further beyond!"_

_What?!_

_Beyond?!_

_What could possibly lie beyond the Ascended Super Saiyan?!_

_The Saiyan prince stared on in utter disbelief as Kakarot cried out with a kiai that shook the entire world. Lightning poured forth from the heavens, the seas roared beneath him, and the earth shook violently with fear. Even Babidi, who only just moments ago was scoffing Kakarot's power, was reduced to screaming with fear at the horrifying power being unleashed by the Saiyan in front of him. Then he felt it. Vegeta could feel Kakarot's power. A feat that should not be possible. Kakarot's power had risen to such a point that even beings in the afterlife were capable of feeling its intensity. When had he come to possess such a tremendous power? How?! Vegeta had painstakingly trained the last seven years after the Cell Games to close the gap between he and Kakarot's power. But now... Only now did the Saiyan prince understand just how far that gap truly was. With one more dimension rending yell, Kakarot unleashed the full brunt of his power, revealing in an explosion of energy and bio-electricity, his new form._

_Kakarot was the definition of Saiyan glory. His muscled physique had become more defined. More prominent, however, was his hair, which had lengthened passed his waist, flaring out in a dramatic fashion. Additionally, Kakarot looked menacing. Much more menacing than he had only moments before. What was this form?! Kakarot had not only changed physically but his power had transcended the Saiyan prince's wildest expectations. It was absolutely monstrous!_

_"I'm sorry that took so much longer than the others, but I haven't had much occasion to practice this one." Kakarot mused in a low tone. "This is what I call a Super Saiyan 3!"_

_Super..._

_Saiyan 3...?!_

_Surely Kakarot was bluffing! _

_But there it was! Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, was once again trailing behind Kakarot. When had it happened?! Had the past seven years in the Other World really increased Kakarot's power by such astounding leaps and bounds?! Vegeta was filled by a variety of emotions, ranging from outrage to dismay. Everytime the Saiyan prince thought he was gaining on Kakarot, only moments away from overtaking him, Kakarot would break the next power barrier and prove himself stronger yet again. At this point, the disembodied Saiyan prince opened his eyes, allowing the vision of Kakarot's fight with Babidi's monster to fade away. Once more the Prince of Saiyans..._

_...was disgraced._

####

In the present day, Vegeta recoiled from the recollection, collapsing to his knees on the cold metallic floor of Capsule Corporation's massive gravity training room. Sweat billowed from the Saiyan's fair skin, dripping endlessly onto the metal floor below him. Twelve years had passed since Buu met his demise at Kakarot's hands. Two had gone by since Kakarot had left the company of his comrades in order to train the boy he deemed Majin Buu's reincarnation in the martial arts, once again snubbing the destined battle between the two remaining pure-blooded Saiyan warriors. Another chance for Vegeta to measure his mantle against his most fierce and respected rival; gone.

"Damn you, Kakarot!" the Saiyan prince snapped, slamming his gloved fist into the metal beneath him, denting it in the process. "No more will I fall behind you."

The familiar warmth of ki surged within Vegeta as his anger rose.

The Saiyan's aura burst forth from this body unconsciously as his energy levels rose higher and higher. The memories only continued to flash before his eyes. Kakarot holding his own against the fat Majin Buu. The same Buu that had sent him into a cold oblivion. Then later, on the Sacred World of the Kais, when Kakarot had battled the kid Majin Buu in the Super Saiyan 3 state. It was infuriating! How could he, the Saiyan prince, have not theorized such a power could exist?! Each memory that flashed before his eyes increased his anger and in an instant, his onyx hair lightened to blond, furious bursts of electricity sparking around his diminutive frame.

"I'll find a way to catch up to you, Kakarot, mark my words!" the full-blooded Saiyan barked aloud to himself. "The Saiyan prince shall rise again!"

####

**Two weeks later...**

_**It has been twelve years.**_

_**Twelve long years since Majin Buu rained terror down upon the Earth and her inhabitants. The Earth and its sworn defenders have enjoyed a little over a decade of peace. With Goku gone, off training the young village boy, Uub, to be a martial artist, the Z-Fighters have had to find other ways to entertain themselves, rather than being around our favorite Saiyan hero, which brings us to the present!** _

"Come on, Dad!"

Trunks, now twenty years of age, barked as his father in a voice much deeper than that of the child who had once squawked at him, in the days prior to Majin Buu, to take him to the part. The Saiyan pair, accompanied by Vegeta's wife, Trunks' mother, the indignant blue-haired woman, Bulma, and her identical mini-me of a daughter, Bra, approached a large building in the interior of the bustling Satan City. Both Bulma and Vegeta sported their signature annoyed expressions, though both had different reasons. Bulma was a little more than pissed off with her husband for his constant refusal to cooperate with their family trip. Vegeta, on the other hand, was indignant for the simple fact that he was _present_ for said vacation and not back at Capsule Corp training like he felt he should be. Sensing the tension between her parents mounting, Bra quickly scrambled away from Bulma and hid herself behind her much older brother. Though nearly eight years old, Bra disliked it when her parents fought, and expressed this often by seeking refuge behind Trunks.

"You need a serious attitude adjustment!" Bulma accused, wagging her finger in Vegeta's face. He may be the "Prince of all Saiyans", but the petite woman clearly had no fear of him. "Why can't you ever just spend time with your family and enjoy it?!"

"Why don't you pipe down and get a move on!" Vegeta barked back. "You're lucky I even came at all!"

Behind Trunks, Bra began to quiver.

Though Trunks, older and more mature now than he was in his youth, was used to his parents' frequent and often loud fights, he had also developed into a very protective older brother and strongly disliked the effect his parents' fighting had on his little sister. Turning slightly, the older teen placed a reassuring hand on Bra's light-aqua head and gave it a gentle, yet reassuring rub.

"Come on, you two!" Trunks groaned. "You're both scaring Bra! Can't we just enjoy our vacation?"

"Hmph!" Vegeta scoffed, folding his arms against his chest. "Some vacation."

The Saiyan prince, husband of an equally scary Earth woman, and father of two, was likely right to be annoyed.

The object of his "family's" vacation was a comic convention in Satan City, known as the Satan City Comic Con for short. Over the years since Buu, Trunks had grown up adoring comics and other fictional venues, which Vegeta only could suspect were a direct result of his friendship with Kakarot's youngest son, Goten, who also had such interests. As if on cue, the mullet-haired son of Kakarot descended from the sky, touching down behind the Brief family, and waving wildly upon spotting his best friend.

"Trunks!" Goten wailed happily, running to catch up with him.

"Goten!" the silver-haired teen responded with joy. "Its been so long! Good to see you again!"

"Hello, Goten!" Bulma chimed in, suddenly sounding jovial, rather than completely pissed off, as she had only moments before. "My, you've grown so much!"

Goten blushed madly at the compliment. Only a year behind Trunks, Goten was nearly as tall, sporting an onyx-colored mullet, a bland t-shirt, and a pair of jeans torn at the kneecaps. This appearance was in stark contrast to the way he was twelve years ago, when Bulma could not tell him apart from the young Goku she had once met as a teenage girl. This, of course, was intentional, as Goten had wanted to distinguish himself from his father, and so changed his hairstyle and choice of clothing.

"Have you heard anything from Goku lately?" Bulma inquired of the Saiyan youth.

Vegeta perked up at this.

Though the Saiyan prince hates to admit it, any mention of Kakarot interests him as of late. None of them had seen the Saiyan hero since the World Martial Arts Tournament two years prior.

"Nothing." Goten replied seriously, shaking his head. "Mom is totally not taking it well, either. She keeps saying that Dad is probably off with some 'hot younger chick' and has completely forgotten about her by now."

Bulma can't resist a smirk at that, "That's Chi Chi for you." she chirped. "Always overreacting."

"I'll say." Goten replied, only to feel a sudden tug on his arm.

"C'mon, Goten!" Trunks urged his friend. "Let's get inside!"

"Right!"

The group progressed through the main entrance and into the madness within. The scene inside was absolute chaos. Comic fans, nerds, and cosplayers alike rampaged throughout the main floor, crowding around tables, booths, and various products strewn all over the place. The sound of them all, inside, was deafening to the likes of Vegeta. Goten and Trunks, galvanized by the sight before them, immediately leaped into the madness, leaving Bulma, Bra, and Vegeta to wade their way through the stampede and patrons in order to chase after them. Of course, the commotion doesn't seem to bother Bulma at all, who is sucked up completely in the events surrounding her. The Saiyan prince, on the other hand, is far from amused. The noise is piercing his eardrums, patrons almost constantly bumping into him in the tight space. Combined with his natural short temper, this experience is quickly eroding what little patience Vegeta had left.

"Argh!" he snarled. "I just can't stand it any longer!"

Just then, a particularly bulbous, bespectacled young man backs into Vegeta, having not seen the tall-haired Saiyan. The youth whirls around, greasy hair flinging around with him, to get a look at just who or what he bumped into, only to have his vision filled by a very unamused, very angry prince of Saiyans. Not sensing the immediate danger to himself, the teenager instead makes the prude decision to get cocky with the shorter Vegeta.

"Hey, pint-sized!" the teen yelled. "Why don't you watch where the hell you're going!"

"Get out of my way." Vegeta warned calmly, attempting to stand to his feet.

"Did you hear me, hot-shot?!" the teen argued, feeling particularly arrogant. "I said watch where you're-"

Vegeta's patience runs dry.

The prince of Saiyans merely raised his hand and backhanded the boy, sending him hurdling through the crowd and into a nearby fold-up table, where the boy's face crashed through the flimsy furniture and into the stone-hard ground. Dusting his gloved hands off, Vegeta proceeded through the crowd to rejoin his family, who hadn't yet made it too far through the thickening wall of patrons and nerds.

Today would be a long day...

####

Dende's Lookout.

An illustrious floating palace, sitting at the thresholds of the heavens themselves, and home to the last two Namekians on the planet Earth. At the edge of the tiled flooring of the Lookout, peering over the edge into the oceans of aqua skies below, Piccolo studied the ebbs and flows of the Earth's energy as yet another day passes by on the planet beneath him. For awhile now, something had been troubling him. A faint energy he'd felt now for months, but couldn't quite grasp what it could be. Now that energy had appeared again, a growing maw of darkness at the corner of his mind, and an all too familiar feeling to the wise Namek. Piccolo, bearing the wisdom of Kami and Nail, had felt such darkness before. When Cell had first reared his head on the Earth. When he was released from Dabura's stone spit and first took in Majin Buu's incredibly foul energy.

Something was very wrong on the planet below.

But what?

"Do you feel it too?"

The elder Namekian suddenly hears his thoughts disturbed by a much more diminutive voice. Opening his eyes, he adverts his gaze to see Dende, Guardian of the Earth, standing next to him with his signature staff. Just behind even him is the ever watchful Mr. Popo, who had said nothing yet, but had escorted Dende as he always seemed to. The younger Namekian also wore an expression of concern and worry as he too peered down at the world below. In the years since becoming the Guardian, Dende had become a very wise individual, and was perceptive well beyond his years. With that in mind, Piccolo returned his sight down to the planet below.

"Yeah," the elder Namek replied. "Its growing."

"Do you think we should try to get in touch with Goku?" Dende inquires.

"I've already tried."

The sudden telepathic voice of King Kai startles the Namekian duo.

"King Kai?!" Dende shrilled. "Is that you?"

"Who else could it be?!" the plump Kai retorted sarcastically. "Of course its me! The one and only!"

"Cut the jabber." Piccolo interjected. "What's this about Goku, King Kai?"

"I'm trying to tell you that I've already tried to warn Goku!" King Kai exclaims. "He won't answer! He must be training somewhere with Uub where even my telepathy won't reach him."

"Or he's ignoring you." Piccolo quipped.

The elder Namek had known Goku for a very, very long time. If he knew the Saiyan as well as he thought he did, Goku was either simply too wrapped up in his training, or he was purposely ignoring King Kai. Either way, it didn't matter, because the Saiyan didn't answer, which meant they'd have to resort to warning somebody else. But warn them about what?

"King Kai!" the Namek spoke up. "Do you have any idea what this could be?"

"Mmm..." the Kai's voice echo's in the Namekian duo's heads. "No, I can't say for sure. I'll keep my senses tuned, but for now you'd best warn Vegeta and the others! They need to be on alert!"

"Warn... Vegeta...?" Dende groaned.

"This should be interesting." Piccolo snorted. "I'll do it."

Dealing with the Saiyan prince, after all, required a very "special" touch...

####

Vegeta was in the midst of a crisis.

He had two choices: suck it up and follow his family, plus Kakarot's brat, for the rest of the day, dealing with countless imbeciles in the process, or simply blow the entire convention to Kingdom Come. Though the Saiyan prince knew which option would keep Bulma happy, his natural trigger finger was making it very difficult not to detonate an energy bomb here and now and take care of the entire nuisance in his day. For the moment, however, he had managed to find a spot just outside the reach of the thronging nerds, where he could at least hear himself think. Bulma and Bra had braved the madness to hunt down Trunks and Goten. Vegeta had very nearly brought himself to the point of mental stability when a sudden nudge on his conscious immediately flared up his aggravation again.

"Vegeta, we need to talk." the telepathic voice of the Namek, Piccolo, resounded in the Saiyan's mind.

"Oh great, now the Namek is here." Vegeta snapped mentally. "My day is just not complete without you sticking your nose into my head."

"Cut the sarcasm, Vegeta, this is important!" Piccolo bellowed angrily.

Vegeta sighed aloud, but eventually relented to the Namek's demands.

"What is it?" the Saiyan prince demanded.

"Myself, Dende, and King Kai have become aware of a darkness pervading the earth." Piccolo explained. "We don't know the source, but you need to stay vigilant. Every vibe I'm getting from this thing rings Cell and Majin Buu all over again."

"Hmph," the Saiyan prince chuckled to himself. "Finally, something interesting happens."

"What's more," the Namek continued. "We can't seem to get in contact with Goku, so if anything comes of this, you all will be on your own."

"Hah!" Vegeta scoffed. "As if we need Kakarot to protect us!"

The nerve of that Namek!

Vegeta respected Kakarot. It had taken a very long time for the respect to be gained, but during the battle with Majin Buu, Kakarot had finally managed to gain that from him. That didn't mean, however, that the Saiyan prince was helpless without Kakarot around to save the day. The mere suggestion to the contrary infuriated the pure-blooded Saiyan.

"Leave it to me, Namek." Vegeta snapped and then Piccolo's presence was gone.

The Saiyan immediately began to comb the crowd for his missing family. It didn't take him long. Trunks, Bra, Bulma, and Kakarot's brat were approaching in a group. Trunks was carrying an enormous stack of comic books, which teetered back and forth with each step he took. Likewise, Goten seemed to be carrying a nearly identical stack. The sight disgusted the Saiyan prince. In his mind of minds, Saiyan boys should be obsessed with training and making themselves stronger. Not toiling away their day concerned with a fictional picture book series! Even Gohan, forced to study every subject his crazed mother desired him to, grew up thirsting to be trained by his father, and though his desire for peace was not at all Saiyan-like, Gohan had developed into a fine young warrior for his age. Vegeta pinned for Trunks to develop such an appetite for training and fighting. That is a dream, however, that the Saiyan prince was fast learning was quickly slipping from his grasp.

"Would you two hurry up!" Vegeta snapped impatiently.

"Calm down, Vegeta!" Bulma jumped in. "The boys are just having some fun."

"There is no time for fun." Vegeta replied coldly. "We have work to do."

"Work?" Trunks groaned, sticking his head out from around his mountain of newly acquired comics. "What kind of work?"

"Listen, can I get out of this?" Goten whined at the same time. "I mean, I'm not your son, so..-"

"Quit your blathering!" Vegeta loudly cut him off, stamping his foot with irritation. "You're both coming. We're heading to the Lookout."

"The Lookout?" both Saiyan youth blurt out in unison.

"Yes," Vegeta nodded. "The Namek just contacted me about a little situation developing. We're going there to figure out what all the fuss is about."

"But Dad..." Trunks whined, as if reverting back to his ten year old self. "We've only been here an hour!"

"I don't want to hear any excuses, Trunks!" Vegeta barked. "You're coming or I'll cut your allowance."

Trunks slumped over in defeat. There was no use in arguing with his father any further. The Saiyan youth knew that once his father set his mind to something, it was virtually impossible to change it; especially when a potential fight may be involved. Goten, on the other hand, always one to tempt his own fate, wasn't convinced by Vegeta's angry badgering and foolishly decided to challenge the elder Saiyan warrior.

"You can't cut my allowance." Goten retorted while wagging his finger pointedly at Vegeta.

"No," Vegeta replies with an edge to his tone. "But I can pound you into a pulp if you don't clamp your mouth shut and follow!"

That is good enough for Goten.

Most teenagers would call an adult's bluff with that particular threat. Not Goten. Not to Vegeta. Vegeta didn't give a rat's ass about the social ethics of the Earth and its government and would gladly back his threat up right here in the convention center. Goten knew this from years of dealing with the Saiyan prince and so, like Trunks, he too slumped over and resigned himself to the hand fate had dealt him. With the Saiyan prince at the helm, all three Saiyans began to make their way out of the convention center from the direction in which they'd originally entered. In the meantime, Bulma watched on in irritation as her husband marched her son and her childhood best friend's youngest son out the door with him. Next to her, Bra clung tightly to her arm, having been particularly bothered by the heated exchange she'd just witnessed. That's when it dawned on Bulma... Vegeta and Trunks had been their ride to the city! If they were leaving then...

"Hey!" the aqua-haired woman cried out, tearing off after her husband and eldest child; Bra clinging onto her mother for dear life as they ran. "Wait for us! You big jerk!"

_**An ominous cloud hangs over the Earth as a shadow from behind watches our heroes leave!**_

_**What darkness has begun to spread across the world? And what have Piccolo and Dende learned about it so far? All these answers and more in the next chapter of Dragon Ball** **Z!**_

* * *

**A/N: This is a little side project I will be working on from time to time. A story focused around Vegeta as the protagonist! Of course, my TWD stories take precedence over this one, so I may not update it as frequently as them, but expect to see a grand tale unfold before us in a unique and original installment of the Dragon Ball Z fan fiction universe! Feel free to leave comments, thoughts, and reviews! Until the next one folks!**


End file.
